1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to a tracing light for a hand held power saw and, in particular, to a tracing light for a saber saw.
2. Brief Statement of the Prior Art Floodlights have been used with power driven tools to illuminate the entire work surface in the vicinity of the tool such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,193,878 and 2,852,051 for a router, 2,525.588 for a hand drill, 2,588,288 for hand saws, and 4,230,453 for a dentist drill.
Lights have also been used on saber saws such as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,393,309. U.S. Pat. No. 3,504,716 discloses an optical focusing guide for use on saber saws. While a focused beam of light has been used as a guide for a drill bit in U.S. Pat. No. 3,728,077, heretofore, there have been no prior attempts to use a narrow beam of focused light as a tracing guide for use on a saw and particularly for a portable hand saw. Instead, the prior art has concentrated on mechanical guides, fences, etc., for controlling the cutting paths of these saws.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,457,796 discloses a saber saw which has a light source 16 and a light guide of a fibre optic material which is supported on the saw housing and which terminates a substantial distance above the workpiece. U.S. Pat. No. 3,506,716 discloses a fiber optic element and magnifier to provide an improved visual guide or a sabre saw. U.S. Pat. No. 2,806,492 discloses a projector for a stationary circular saw which directs an elongated beam of light onto the cut line. U.S. Pat. No. 2,193,878 discloses a pair of flood lamps which are used to illuminate the surface of a work piece surrounding a cutting bit of a router.